Interior vehicle body structure

ABSTRACT

A vehicle body structure includes a vehicle interior cargo area having an interior wall, a track and a cargo accessory. The track is fixedly attached to the interior wall and the track includes a pair of parallel spaced apart wall portions defining a track slot therebetween. The cargo accessory includes a cargo supporting portion and an attachment portion. The attachment portion is configured and arranged to attach to the wall portions of the track retaining the cargo accessory in position with a snap-fit engagement arrangement.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a division application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/169,237 filed on Jul. 8, 2008. The entire disclosure of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/169,237 is hereby incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an interior vehicle body structure.More specifically, the present invention relates to an interior vehiclebody structure that includes a cargo support track configured to receiveinstallable, removable and re-installable cargo supporting accessories.

2. Background Information

Recently, the exterior cargo space structures of vehicles, such as thoseof pickup trucks, have been improved to include tracks. Such tracks haveincreased the versatility of the cargo bed of pickup trucks in thatcargo can be secured at any of a variety of locations along the tracks.Further, tool boxes can be more easily secured to such tracks withoutmodification or damage to the cargo bed.

However, interior cargo space structures have not undergone such featureadding improvements.

In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the artfrom this disclosure that there exists a need for improved interiorcargo space structures that improve the functionality of interior cargospaces. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as otherneeds, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from thisdisclosure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to improve the usefulness andfunctionality of a vehicle's interior cargo/storage space.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle bodystructure includes a vehicle interior cargo area having an interiorwall, a track and a cargo accessory. The track is fixedly attached tothe interior wall and the track includes a pair of parallel spaced apartwall portions defining a track slot therebetween. The cargo accessoryincludes a cargo supporting portion and an attachment portion. Theattachment portion is configured and arranged to attach to the wallportions of the track retaining the cargo accessory in position with asnap-fit engagement arrangement.

These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from thefollowing detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with theannexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of thisoriginal disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle that includes a cargo spacestructure in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another side elevation of the vehicle similar to FIG. 1showing a driver's side front door open and a rear access door closedconcealing the cargo space structure in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is another side elevation of the vehicle similar to FIGS. 1 and 2showing the driver's side front door open and the rear access dooropened providing access to the cargo space structure in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an interior portion of the vehicleshowing front seats and rear seats of the vehicle with the rear seatspartially concealing the cargo space structure in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 is another perspective view of the interior portion of thevehicle with the front seats removed, the rear seats folded down toexpose an interior wall of the cargo space structure, a plurality oftracks installed on the interior wall and accessories installed to thetracks in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an elevation of the interior wall of the interior portion ofthe vehicle showing the rear seats folded down to expose the interiorwall of the cargo space structure with the plurality of tracks and theaccessories installed to the tracks in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the interior wall taken along theline 7-7 in FIG. 6, showing one of the plurality of tracks in accordancewith the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of one of the plurality of tracksshowing one of the accessories removed from the track in accordance witha first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is another perspective view of the one of the plurality of tracksfrom a different angle showing the accessory installed to the track inaccordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of the one of the plurality oftracks taken along the line 10-10 in FIG. 8 showing the accessoryoriented for installation to the track in accordance with the firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is another side cross-sectional view of the one of the pluralityof tracks taken along the line 11-11 in FIG. 9 showing the accessoryinstalled to the track in accordance with the first embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an accessory shown removed from thetrack in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a side cross-sectional view of the accessory and one of theplurality of tracks with the accessory compressed, elastically deformedand oriented for installation to the track in accordance with the secondembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is another side cross-sectional view of the accessory installedto the track in accordance with the second embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a mechanically operated accessoryinstalled in one of the plurality of tracks in accordance with a thirdembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a side cross-sectional view of the accessory and the tracktaken along the line 16-16 in FIG. 15, showing the accessory installedto the track and further showing features of a cam mechanism of theaccessory, in accordance with the third embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 17 is another side cross-sectional view of the accessory and thetrack showing the cam mechanism in an accessory releasing positionallowing the accessory to be removed from the track in accordance withthe third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 18 is another side cross-sectional view of the accessory and thetrack showing the cam mechanism in the accessory releasing positionremoved from the track in accordance with the third embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the cam mechanismshown removed from the accessory and rotated 90 degrees relative to thedepiction in FIGS. 16-18 in accordance with the third embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a cam member of the cam mechanism shownremoved from the cam mechanism in accordance with the third embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 21 an exploded perspective view of a backside of the accessoryshowing the cam member and projections that include cam surfaces thatare contacted by the cam member in accordance with the third embodimentof the present invention; and

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the backside of theaccessory in accordance with the third embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Selected embodiments of the present invention will now be explained withreference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in theart from this disclosure that the following descriptions of theembodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration onlyand not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by theappended claims and their equivalents.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a vehicle 10 is illustrated inaccordance with the present invention. As best shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and6, the vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body structure 12 that includes avehicle interior area 13 with an interior wall 14 that includes aplurality of tracks 16 and a plurality of attachable, removable andre-attachable accessories, such as an accessory 18 that attach to tracks16, as described in greater detail below.

In the depicted embodiments of the present invention, the interior wall14 of the vehicle body structure 12 is the rear wall of the vehicleinterior area 13. However, it should be understood from the drawings andthe description herein that the interior wall 14 of the vehicle bodystructure 12 can be part of any interior space of a vehicle, such as aninterior wall of a van, an interior wall of a semi-trailer/tractor, awall of an enclosed cargo truck, or a wall of any other type of vehiclewith an interior space capable of receiving and supporting cargo. Asbest shown in FIG. 7, the interior wall 14 includes a rigid andgenerally upright wall portion 19, an interior trim panel 20 and awindow W. Both the wall portion 19 and the interior trim panel 20 extendat least partway and preferably all the way between opposite sides ofthe vehicle 10. Included in the vehicle interior area 13 are front seats22, rear seats 24, front doors 26 and rear doors 28. The wall portion 19and the interior trim panel 20 preferably extend between the rear doors28. The interior trim panel 20 includes a plurality of elongatedrecesses 20 a (only one shown in FIG. 7) each being dimensioned toreceive a corresponding one of the tracks 16. As shown best in FIG. 7,surfaces 20 b and 20 c of the interior trim panel 20 adjacent to therecesses 20 a are spaced apart from the wall portion 19 by a distanceS₁.

The front seats 22 are conventional driver and front passenger seats.The rear seats 24 in the depicted embodiment are crew seats typicallyfound in conventional King Cab style pick-up trucks. The rear seats 24are supported on the interior wall 14 in a conventional manner. However,it should be understood from the description and drawings herein, thatthe vehicle 10 can be provided with full size rear seats or with no rearseats and still realize the advantages of the various aspects of theinvention described below. Alternatively, the rear seats 24 can bereplaced with a single fold-down bench style rear seat. In yet anotheralternative embodiment, the rear seat 24 can be a pair of bucket seatssupported on the floor of the vehicle interior area 13.

The rear seats 24 each include a seating portion 32 and a seatbackportion 34. The seating portion 32 can optionally be folded up (notshown) against the interior wall 14. The seatback portion 34 can bepivoted between an upright position (a track concealing position)covering, obscuring or hiding at least a portion of the interior wall 14(FIG. 4) and a reclined position (a track exposing position) exposingthe portion of the interior wall 14 (FIGS. 5 and 6). With the seatbackportions 34 in the upright position, the tracks 16 are at leastpartially concealed below upper ends of the seatback portions 34. Withthe seatback portions 34 in the reclined position, the tracks 16 areexposed and are located above the reclined seatback portions 34.

With reference again to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the front doors 26 (only oneshown) are conventional vehicle front doors that move between an openposition depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3 and a closed position depicted inFIG. 1. The rear doors 28 are narrow doors that have hinges (not shown)disposed along a rear edge of the rear doors 28. Hence, the rear doors28 pivot between a closed position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and an openposition shown in FIG. 3. With both the front door 26 and the rear door28 open, a large opening is revealed exposing the vehicle interior area13.

As indicated in FIG. 3, the rear door 28 includes a B-pillar-likestructure 30 that is fixed within the rear door 28. The B-pillar-likestructure 30 includes a striker plate and corresponding hardware thatensures secure closing of both the rear door 28 and the front door 26.However, in the depicted embodiments, the front door 26 cannot be shutunless the rear door 28 is first shut. In other words, the rear door 28must be closed before the front door 26 can be closed. Conversely, therear door 28 cannot be opened with the front door 26 shut. In order toopen the rear door 28 the front door 26 must first be opened.

As best shown in FIGS. 4-6, the vehicle body structure 12 and theinterior wall 14 define the vehicle interior area 13. The interior wall14 is provided with the window W and a plurality of the tracks 16 thatare fixedly attached to the interior wall 14 below the window W withinrespective ones of the recesses 20 a. As best shown in FIG. 7, each ofthe tracks 16 is fixed to the interior wall 14 by fasteners F, but canalternative be attached to the interior wall 14 by welding or can bemolded into the structure of the interior wall 14. Since the tracks 16are identical to one another, description of one applies to all.

As shown in FIG. 7, the track 16 is an elongated member that has agenerally U-shaped configuration when viewed in cross-section. TheU-shape of the track 16 defines a hollow interior or central channel 40surrounded on three sides by parallel walls 42 and back wall 44. Theparallel walls 42 further include a pair of parallel spaced apart wallportions 46 defining a track slot TS therebetween. The wall portions 46extend from respective ones of the parallel walls 42 such that the trackslot TS between the wall portions exposes the hollow interior or centralchannel 40. Further, the wall portions 46 are spaced apart from oneanother by a first distance D₁. In other words, the track slot TS has awidth corresponding to the first distance D₁. It should be understoodthat the track slot TS extends approximately the full length of thetrack 16 as indicated in FIG. 8. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 7,the tracks 16 are fixed to the upright wall portion 19 by the fastenersF, such that the fasteners F extend from the central channel 40 (thehollow interior) of the track 16 through the back wall 44 of the track16 and further through the interior trim panel 20 and the upright wallportion 19. The wall portions 46 of the accessory track 16 are spacedapart from the wall portion 19 of the interior wall 14 by a distance S₂.As shown in FIG. 7, the distance S₂ is greater than the distance S₁.

As best shown in FIG. 8, the track 16 includes open lateral ends 48 thatare closed off by a pair of end caps 50. The end caps 50 are dimensionedand shaped to fit into respective ones of the open lateral ends 48providing the track 16 with an attractive appearance and with closedends.

As is indicated in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5, the interior cargo area 13 isdefined in part by the interior wall 14 is concealed by the rear door 28when the rear door 28 is in the closed position.

A description of the accessory 18 in accordance with a first embodimentof the present invention is now provided with specific reference toFIGS. 8-11. The accessory 18 is a single unitary element that isattached to or installed to any one of the tracks 16 with aninterference fit, as described below.

The accessory 18 is a cargo accessory that includes a cargo supportingportion 54 and an attachment portion 56 connected to one another in anon-threaded manner. More specifically, the cargo supporting portion 54and the attachment portion 56 are integrally formed or molded integrallyas a single unitary element. The accessory 18 can be made with a varietyof materials. For example, the accessory 18 can be made entirely ofmolded polymer material(s) or of a metallic material. Alternatively, theaccessory can have an inner core of rigid reinforcing material coatedwith a plastic or polymer material.

In the depicted embodiment, the cargo supporting portion 54 has a hookshape that resembles the letter J (a hook portion). The hook shape ofthe cargo supporting portion 54 extends away from the attachment portion56 of the accessory 18. Alternatively, the cargo supporting portion 54can have any of a variety of shapes and is not limited to the largeJ-shaped hook depicted in FIGS. 8, 9 and 11.

As best shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, the attachment portion 56 includes acentral body 60 with two projections 62. The central body 60 of theattachment portion 56 is rigidly attached to the cargo supportingportion 54 of the accessory 18. The projections 62 are formed onopposite sides of the central body 60. The projections 62 are configuredto retain the accessory 18 to the spaced apart wall portions 46 of thetrack 16 with the central body 60 extending through the track slot TSbetween the spaced apart wall portions 46. The central body 60 has anoverall cylindrical shape, as indicated in FIG. 9. However, the centralbody 60 also includes a shoulder portion 64 that extends downward fromthe central body 60 in FIGS. 9 and 11. The shoulder portion 64 has arectangular-like shape.

With reference to FIGS. 9, 10 and 11, the attachment portion 56 isdimensioned with a first thickness T₁ (FIG. 10) and a second thicknessT₂ (FIG. 11) measured perpendicular to one another. The first thicknessT₁ is a measurement of the central body 60 corresponding to an outerdiameter of the cylindrical shape of the central body 60, as indicatedin FIGS. 9 and 10. The second thickness T₂ is a measurement of the outerdiameter of the cylindrical shape of the central body 60 plus theshoulder portion 64, as indicated in FIG. 11. The second thickness T₂ isgreater than the first thickness T₁.

The first thickness T₁ of the central body 60 is less than or equal tothe first distance D₁ between the spaced apart wall portions 46(corresponding to the track slot TS). Consequently, the central body 60is insertable between the spaced apart wall portions 46 of the track 16with the central body 60 rotated to the orientation depicted in FIGS. 8and 10. However, the second thickness T₂ is approximately the same orslightly larger than the first distance D₁ between the spaced apart wallportions 46 (corresponding to the track slot TS). Consequently, when thecentral body 60 is installed in the track 16 and rotated to theorientation depicted in FIGS. 9 and 11, the central body 60 and theshoulder portion 64 engage the spaced apart wall portions 46 with aninterference fit.

The cargo supporting portion 54 is operable to attach the attachmentportion 56 to the spaced apart wall portions 46 of the track 16.Specifically, as indicated in FIGS. 8 and 10, with the cargo supportingportion 54 of the accessory 18 oriented (rotated) in a directionextending parallel to the spaced apart wall portions 46, the centralbody 60 of the attachment portion 56 is insertable into the track slotTS between the spaced apart wall portions 46. Once attachment portion 56is inserted into the track 16, the cargo supporting portion 54 can beused as a lever to rotate the accessory 18 ninety (90) degrees to theorientation shown in FIGS. 9 and 11 (non-parallel or perpendicular tothe spaced apart wall portions 46). The act of rotating the accessory 18to the orientation depicted in FIGS. 9 and 11 causes the central body 60and the shoulder portion 64 to engage opposite ones of the spaced apartwall portions 46. Since the thickness T₂ of the shoulder portion 64 andthe central body 60 is the same or slightly greater than the distance D₁between the spaced apart wall portions 46, the shoulder portion 64 andthe central body 60 are slightly compressed establishing an interferencefit. Hence, the accessory 18 can be installed to the track 16 andretained in position in a tool-less manner.

The projections 62 of the attachment portion 56 extend outward away fromthe central body 60 of the attachment portion 56 a second distance D₂.As indicated in FIG. 11, the second distance D₂ is greater than thefirst distance D₁ and also greater than the thickness T₂ of the centralbody 60 and the shoulder portion 64. Consequently, once the accessory 18is installed in the track 16, the projections 62 prevent the accessory18 from being pulled out of the track 16 and the interference fitbetween the central body 60 and the spaced apart wall portions 46prevents rotation and removal of the accessory 18. It should beunderstood that sufficient rotational force applied to the cargosupporting portion 54 will cause the central body 60 to rotate, allowingremoval of the accessory 18 from the track 16. However, during use ofthe accessory 18 to support cargo hanging therefrom, the interferencefit between the central body 60 of the attachment portion 56 and thetrack 16 is sufficient to retain the accessory 18 to the track 16.

Hence, the accessory 18 is configured such that with cargo supportingportion 54 oriented in a direction extending parallel to the spacedapart wall portions 46 of the track 16, the central body 60 of theattachment portion is removable and insertable into the track slot TSbetween the spaced apart wall portions 46. Further, with the cargosupport portion 54 oriented in a direction extending non-parallel to thespaced apart wall portions 46, the projections 62 interfere withinsertion and removal of the central body 60 in and out of the trackslot TS between the spaced apart wall portions 42 of the track 16.

As shown best in FIG. 6, a plurality of the accessories 18 can beinstalled to the plurality of tracks 16. Consequently a variety oftools, cargo and/or equipment can be stored on the hook portion of theaccessories 18. Further, tool boxes (not shown) or special equipment canbe installed to the interior wall 14 by hanging such special equipmentto one or more of the accessories 18. The accessories 18 provide aflexible arrangement for the storage of equipment (not shown) and/orcargo (not shown) within an enclosed area of the vehicle 10.

Second Embodiment

Referring now to FIGS. 12, 13 and 14, an accessory 70 in accordance witha second embodiment will now be explained. In view of the similaritybetween the first and second embodiments, the parts of the secondembodiment that are identical to the parts of the first embodiment willbe given the same reference numerals as the parts of the firstembodiment. Moreover, the descriptions of the parts of the secondembodiment that are identical to the parts of the first embodiment maybe omitted for the sake of brevity.

The accessory 70 is utilized in a manner that is generally the same asthe accessory 18. Specifically, the accessory 70 can be easily installedto any one of the plurality of tracks 16 (only one track 16 is depictedin FIGS. 13 and 14) of the vehicle 10. In the second embodiment, thevehicle 10 is the same vehicle described above with respect to the firstembodiment. Further, the track 16 is the same as in the first embodimentdescribed above.

It should further be understood from the drawings and description hereinthat the accessory 70 and the accessory 18 can both be usedinterchangeably and simultaneously on a single track 16.

The accessory 70 is a single unitary element that is attached to orinstalled to any one of the tracks 16 with what can be considered asboth a snap-fit and interference fit, as described below.

The accessory 70 is a cargo accessory that includes a cargo supportingportion 154 and an attachment portion 156 connected to one another in anon-threaded manner. More specifically, the cargo supporting portion 154and the attachment portion 156 are integrally formed or moldedintegrally as a single unitary element. The accessory 70 can be madewith a variety of materials, as long as the materials have a prescribedamount of flexibility and resiliency. For example, the accessory 70 canbe made entirely of molded polymer material(s) or of a metallicmaterial. Alternatively, the accessory can have an inner core ofresilient reinforcing material coated with a plastic or polymermaterial. For example, the inner core can be a resilient metallicmaterial coated with plastic or polymer material(s).

In the depicted embodiment, the cargo supporting portion 154 has a hookshape that resembles the letter J (a hook portion). The hook shape ofthe cargo supporting portion 154 is preferably dimensioned to be morerigid that the attachment portion 156. For example, the cargo supportingportion 154 is depicted as being thicker than the attachment portion 156and is therefore less resilient than the attachment portion 156.Alternatively, the cargo supporting portion 154 can have any of avariety of shapes and is not limited to the large J-shaped hook depictedin FIGS. 12, 13 and 14. As shown in the drawings, the cargo supportingportion 154 extends away from the attachment portion 156 of theaccessory 70.

The attachment portion 156 has a central body 160 with two projections162 and 164. The projections 162 and 164 are formed on opposite sides ofthe central body 160, with the projection 162 being located adjacent tothe cargo supporting portion 154 and the projection 164 being locatednear a distal end 166 of the central body 160. The projections 162 and164 are dimensioned to retain the accessory 70 to the spaced apart wallportions 46 of the track 16 with the central body 160 extending throughthe track slot TS between the spaced apart wall portions 46.

The central body 160 has a U-shape when viewed in cross-section, asindicated in FIGS. 13 and 14. With reference to the orientation of theaccessory 70 in FIGS. 12-14, a lower end of the U-shape of the centralbody 160 extends from the cargo supporting portion 154 and the distalend 166 (an upper end) is spaced apart from the cargo supporting portion154. The central body 160 further includes a pair of recesses 168 and170. The recess 168 is located adjacent to the projections 162. Therecess 170 is located adjacent to the projection 164, between theprojection 164 and the distal end 166 of the central body 160. Therecesses 168 and 170 are dimensioned to receive respective ones of thespaced apart wall portions 46. The projection 162 includes a taperedsurface 172 and the projection 164 further includes a tapered surface174, as indicated in FIGS. 13 and 14.

The central body 160 with its overall U-shape, is preferably flexibleand resilient, such that compressive force C applied to the distal end166 and to the cargo supporting portion 154 causes elastic deformationof the U-shape of the central body 160, as indicated in FIG. 13.However, upon the release of the compressive force C, the central body160 returns to its original shape, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 14.

In a non-compressed state as shown in FIG. 12, the attachment portion156 preferably is dimensioned such that a distance measured between therecesses 168 and 170 is at least a third thickness T₃. The thirdthickness T₃ is preferably greater than the first distance D₁ betweenthe spaced apart wall portions 46 (corresponding to the track slot TS).Consequently, when the central body 160 is insertable between the spacedapart wall portions 46 of the track 16 the resiliency of the U-shape ofthe central body 160 retains the accessory 70 to the track 16.

It should be understood from the drawings and the description hereinthat the accessory 70 can be installed to the track 16 in either one oftwo ways. First, compressive force C can be applied to the distal end166 and to the cargo supporting portion 154 causing the elasticdeformation of the U-shape of the central body 160, as indicated in FIG.13. In the elastically deformed state depicted in FIG. 13, the centralbody 160 can easily be inserted into the track slot TS of the track 16.Once the compressive force C is removed, the resiliency of the centralbody 160 provides a biasing force that urges the recesses 168 and 170into contact with the spaced apart wall portions 46 establishing aninterference fit therebetween Further, the projections 162 and 164prevent the central body 160 from being removed from the track 16 in theabsence of the compressive force C because the projections 162 and 164of the attachment portion 156 are biased by the U-shape of the centralbody 160 to extend outward.

Secondly, the central body 160 can be pushed without compressive forceinto the track slot TS of the track 16. Specifically, if the centralbody 160 is pushed with sufficient force, the tapered surfaces 172 and174 engage the edges of the spaced apart wall portion 46 of the trackthereby compressing the central body 160. After sufficient force hasbeen applied to the central body 160, the recesses 168 and 170 mate withthe spaced apart wall portion 46 to achieve a snap-fit engagement withthe track 16.

Consequently, the accessory 70 can be attached to the spaced apart wallportions 46 of the track 16 retaining the accessory 70 in position in atool-less manner. The attachment portion 156 is configured and arrangedto attach to the spaced apart wall portions 46 of the track 16 withprojections 162 and 164 extending outwardly therefrom retaining theaccessory 70 in position with a snap-fit engagement arrangement.Further, as shown in FIG. 14, the projections 162 and 164 of theattachment portion 156 extend outward from the central body 150 adistance that is greater than the first distance D₁ between the spacedapart wall portions 46 of the track 16.

Third Embodiment

Referring now to FIGS. 15-22, an accessory 200 in accordance with athird embodiment will now be explained. In view of the similaritybetween the first and third embodiments, the parts of the thirdembodiment that are identical to the parts of the first embodiment willbe given the same reference numerals as the parts of the firstembodiment. Moreover, the descriptions of the parts of the thirdembodiment that are identical to the parts of the first embodiment maybe omitted for the sake of brevity.

The accessory 200 is a mechanically operated accessory that is utilizedin a manner that is generally the same as the accessory 18 and theaccessory 70. Specifically, the accessory 200 is easily installed to anyone of the plurality of tracks 16 (only one track 16 is depicted inFIGS. 15-18) of the vehicle 10. In the third embodiment, the vehicle 10is the same vehicle described above with respect to the firstembodiment. Further, the track 16 is the same as in the first embodimentdescribed above.

The accessory 200 includes a cam operated mechanism 220 that allows fora snap-fit engagement with the track 16, as described in greater detailbelow. The accessory 200 also includes a cargo supporting portion 254and an attachment portion 256 that are rigidly connected to one another.The cargo supporting portion 254 which supports a portion of the camoperated mechanism 220 is operable to attach the attachment portion 256to the spaced apart wall portions 46 of the track 16 retaining theaccessory 200 in position in a tool-less manner. The cargo supportingportion 254 includes a hook portion that extends away from theattachment portion 256 of the accessory 200.

A portion of the cam operated mechanism 220 is located in the cargosupporting portion 254 and a portion of the cam operated mechanism 220is located in the attachment portion 256, as described further below. Asbest shown in FIG. 21, the attachment portion 256 includes a centralbody 260, a housing 262 extending from the central body 260, a centralaperture 264 (shown in FIGS. 16-18) and movable latching members 266that include projections 268 that extend outward therefrom. The movablelatching members 266 and the projections 268 are configured to snap-fitto the track 16. The movable latching members 266 (and projections 268)are biased to extend outward from the housing 262 and the central body260 and are configured to retain the accessory 200 to spaced apart wallportions 46 of the track 16 with the central body 260 extending into thetrack slot TS between the spaced apart wall portions 46.

The central body 260 of the attachment portion 256 has a fourththickness T₄ that is less than or equal to the first distance D₁ betweenthe spaced apart wall portions 46 (the track slot TS) of the track 16such that the central body 260 is insertable in the track slot TSbetween the spaced apart wall portions 46 of the track 16. Theprojections 268 of the movable latching members 266 are biased by aspring 270 to extend outward from the central body 260 a fifth distanceD₅ (FIG. 16) greater than the first distance D₁ between the spaced apartwall portions 46 of the track 16.

The housing 262 can be integrally formed with the attachment portion 256or can be removable fixed thereto by fasteners (not shown). The housing262 includes latch openings 262 a, a cam opening 262 b and retaineropenings 262 c, as shown in FIG. 21. The central aperture 264 extendsthrough the attachment portion 256 and is exposed on an outer surface ofthe cargo supporting portion 254 as indicated in FIGS. 16-18.

A description of the movable latching members 266 is now provided withspecific reference to FIGS. 21 and 22. There are two movable latchingmembers 266 retained within the housing 262 of the attachment portion256 of the accessory 200 such that the projections 268 extend throughthe latch openings 262 a of the housing 262, as shown in FIG. 22. Themovable latching members 266 are identical and therefore description ofone applies to both. For the sake of brevity, only one of the movablelatching members 266 is described.

The movable latching member 266 includes a tapered surface 274, a camsurface 276, retaining projections 278, a spring contacting surface 280and the projections 268. The tapered surface 274 is formed on theprojection 268 and is dimensioned and shaped such that the accessory 200can be snap-fitted into the track 16. Specifically, when the accessory200 is brought up against the track 16 with the central body 260 alignedwith the track slot TS of the track 16, a prescribed amount of pressureapplied to the cargo supporting portion 254 causes the tapered surfaces274 to engage respective edges of the spaced apart wall portion 46.Continued pressure causes the movable latching members 266 to be movedinward compressing the spring 270. Once the movable latching members 266have moved in a sufficient distance, the central body 260 can move intothe track slot TS. Once the movable latching members 266 have moved intothe central channel 40 of the track 16, the spring 270 urges the movablelatching members 266 outward and the accessory 200 is attached to thetrack 16.

The cam surfaces 276 of the movable latching members 266 are configuredto interact with operation of the cam operated mechanism 220, asdescribed in greater detail below.

The retaining projections 278 are dimensioned and positioned to limitoutward movement of the movable latching members 266 with the movablelatching members 266 installed within the housing 262 of the attachmentportion 256. Specifically, the retaining projections 278 extend into theretainer openings 262 c of the housing 262, as shown in FIG. 22. Thespring contacting surface 280 includes a recess that retains one end ofthe spring 270, as shown in FIG. 22.

The cam operated mechanism 220 is now described with specific referenceto FIGS. 16-20. The cam operated mechanism 220 includes an outer handle284, a shaft portion 286, and a cam member 288. The outer handle 284 andthe shaft portion 286 are depicted as a single unitary element. However,the outer handle 284 and the shaft portion 286 can be made as separateelements fixed to one another. The outer handle 284 and the shaftportion 286 can be made of any of a variety of materials, such as metalmaterials, plastic materials or polymer materials.

The shaft portion 286 movably extends through the central aperture 264of the attachment portion 256 such that the outer handle 284 is disposedat an upper region of the cargo supporting portion 254. A distal end ofthe shaft portion 286 includes a pair of fixing protrusions 290 that aredimensioned to fix the shaft portion 286 to the cam member 288, asdescribed below. A recess 292 is formed in the shaft portion 286extending from the fixing protrusions 290 part way toward the outerhandle 284. The recess 292 is dimensioned to receive the spring 270without interfering with the biasing function of the spring 270.

As best shown in FIG. 20, the cam member 288 includes a U-shaped baseportion 294 and a shaft retaining portion 296 with a shaft aperture 296a and apertures 298. The base portion 294 includes a pair of spacedapart cam surfaces 300 located at distal ends of the U-shape of the baseportion 294. The cam surfaces 300 are configured and dimensioned toengage the cam surfaces 276 of the movable latching members 266, asindicated in FIGS. 16-18. As shown in FIG. 19, the shaft aperture 296 ais dimensioned to receive the shaft portion 286 and the apertures 298 ofthe shaft retaining portion 296 are configured to receive the fixingprotrusions 290 of the shaft portion 286 of the cam operated mechanism220. A spring (not shown) can optionally be provided on the shaftportion 286 to bias the cam operated mechanism 220 toward the positionshown in FIGS. 16. However such a spring is not necessarily requiredsince the spring 270 biasing the movable latching members 266 alsoapplies a biasing force to the cam operated mechanism 220 via the camsurfaces 274 of the movable latching members 266 to bias the camoperated mechanism 220 toward the position shown in FIGS. 16.

Hence, as shown in FIGS. 16-22, the projections 268 of the movablelatching members 266 of the attachment portion 256 include the camsurfaces 276. Further, the movable latching members 266 and theprojections 268 are biased to extend outward away from the central body260.

As shown in FIG. 16, the cargo supporting portion 254 includes andsupports the cam operated mechanism 220. Further, the cam operatedmechanism 220 (a cam engaging member) extends from an exposed portion ofthe cargo supporting portion 254 of the accessory 200 through thecentral aperture 264 in the central body 260 of the attachment portion256.

The cam operated mechanism 220 includes the cam member 288 (a camengaging member) that is configured to engage the cam surfaces 276 ofthe movable latching members 266. As indicated in FIGS. 16, 17 and 18,the relative movement of the cam operated mechanism 220 causes movementof the movable latching members 266. As shown in FIG. 17, movement ofthe cam operated mechanism 220 in a first direction A₁ (toward the leftside of FIG. 17) moves the movable latching members 266 and theprojections 268 inward toward the central body 260 of the attachmentportion 256. In the position shown in FIG. 17, the accessory 200 can beeither moved into position to attach the accessory 200 to the track 16or the accessory 200 can be removed from the track 16, as shown in FIG.18.

There are various components and features of the vehicle 10 that areconventional components that are well known in the art. Since suchcomponents and features of the vehicle 10 are well known in the art,these structures will not be discussed or illustrated in detail herein.

GENERAL INTERPRETATION OF TERMS

In understanding the scope of the present invention, the term“comprising” and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to beopen ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features,elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but do not excludethe presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups,integers and/or steps. The foregoing also applies to words havingsimilar meanings such as the terms, “including”, “having” and theirderivatives. Also, the terms “part,” “section,” “portion,” “member” or“element” when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of asingle part or a plurality of parts. Also as used herein to describe theabove embodiment(s), the following directional terms “forward”,“rearward”, “above”, “downward”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “below” and“transverse” as well as any other similar directional terms refer tothose directions of a vehicle equipped with the present invention.Accordingly, these terms, as utilized to describe the present inventionshould be interpreted relative to a vehicle equipped with the presentinvention.

The terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about” and “approximately”as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modifiedterm such that the end result is not significantly changed.

While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate thepresent invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art fromthis disclosure that various changes and modifications can be madeherein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined inthe appended claims. For example, the size, shape, location ororientation of the various components can be changed as needed and/ordesired. Components that are shown directly connected or contacting eachother can have intermediate structures disposed between them. Thefunctions of one element can be performed by two, and vice versa. Thestructures and functions of one embodiment can be adopted in anotherembodiment. It is not necessary for all advantages to be present in aparticular embodiment at the same time. Every feature which is uniquefrom the prior art, alone or in combination with other features, alsoshould be considered a separate description of further inventions by theapplicant, including the structural and/or functional concepts embodiedby such feature(s). Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the embodimentsaccording to the present invention are provided for illustration only,and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by theappended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle body structure comprising: a vehicleinterior area including an interior wall; a track fixedly attached tothe interior wall, the track including a pair of parallel spaced apartwall portions defining a track slot therebetween; and a cargo accessoryincluding a cargo supporting portion and an attachment portion, theattachment portion being configured and arranged to attach to the wallportions of the track retaining the cargo accessory in position with asnap-fit engagement arrangement.
 2. The vehicle body structure accordingto claim 1, wherein the attachment portion includes a central body withprojections that extend outward therefrom, the projections beingconfigured to snap-fit the cargo accessory to the track.
 3. The vehiclebody structure according to claim 1, wherein the projections of theattachment portion extend outward from the central body of theattachment portion a first distance and the wall portions of the trackare spaced apart from one another by a second distance with the firstdistance being greater than the second distance.
 4. The vehicle bodystructure according to claim 1, wherein the projections of theattachment portion are biased to extend outward away from the centralbody of the attachment portion of the cargo accessory.
 5. The vehiclebody structure according to claim 3, wherein the projections of theattachment portion include cam surfaces, and the cargo supportingportion includes a cam engaging member configured to engage the camsurface such that movement of the cam engaging member in a firstdirection moves the projections inward toward the central body of theattachment portion.
 6. The vehicle body structure according to claim 5,wherein the cam engaging member extends from an exposed portion of thecargo supporting portion of the cargo accessory through an apertureformed in the central body of the attachment portion.
 7. The vehiclebody structure according to claim 1, wherein the central body of theattachment portion includes a flexible U-shaped portion with theprojections extending from opposite lateral sides thereof, the flexibleU-shaped portion biasing the projections away from one another.
 8. Thevehicle body structure according to claim 1, wherein the cargosupporting portion includes a hook portion that extends away from theattachment portion of the cargo accessory.
 9. The vehicle body structureaccording to claim 1, wherein the track is an elongated member with ahollow interior surrounded on three sides by a back wall and a pair ofparallel walls, with the wall portions extending from respective ones ofthe parallel walls such that the track slot between the wall portionsexposes the hollow interior.
 10. The vehicle body structure according toclaim 9, wherein at least one open lateral end of the track is coveredby an end cap.
 11. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1,wherein the interior cargo area is concealed by a vehicle door.
 12. Thevehicle body structure according to claim 1, wherein the track is fixedto the interior wall by at least one fastener that extends from thehollow interior of the track through the back wall of the track, throughthe interior trim panel and the interior wall.
 13. The vehicle bodystructure according to claim 9, wherein the track is fixed to theinterior wall by at least one fastener that extends from the hollowinterior through the back wall to the interior wall.
 14. The vehiclebody structure according to claim 1, wherein the interior wall includes:a rigid generally upright wall portion; and an interior trim panelcovering at least a portion of the upright wall portion with the trackbeing fixed to the upright wall portion.
 15. The vehicle body structureaccording to claim 14, wherein the interior wall further includes a rearwindow with the upright wall portion extending below the rear window.16. The vehicle body structure according to claim 14, wherein the trackis an elongated member with a hollow interior surrounded on three sidesby a back wall and a pair of parallel walls, with the wall portionsextending from respective ones of the parallel walls such that the trackslot between the wall portions exposes the hollow interior.
 17. Thevehicle body structure according to claim 16, wherein the interior trimpanel includes a horizontally extending recess with the track beinginstalled in the horizontally extending recess.
 18. The vehicle bodystructure according to claim 16, wherein portions of the interior trimpanel at upper and lower sides of the horizontally extending recess arespaced apart from upright wall portion by a first distance and the wallportions with the track slot therebetween are disposed a second distancefrom the upright wall portion with the second distance being greaterthan the first distance.
 19. The vehicle body structure according toclaim 1, wherein the vehicle interior area includes a seatback movablebetween a track concealing position and a track exposing position, suchthat with the seatback in the track exposing position, a horizontalplane that is both normal to the interior wall and that intersects thetrack does not intersect the seatback.